Lint cleaner



D. D. DAY

LINT CLEANER Feb. 23, 1954 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 16, 1950 \Mwm ATTOR N EYS Feb. 23, 1954 DAY 2,669,755

LINT CLEANER Filed Oct. 16, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 2 SYWIMM 30 r 34 Dewey D. Day

Feb. 23, 1954 DAY 2,669,755

LINT CLEANER Filed 001'. 16, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 23, 1954 LINT CLEANER Dewey D. Day, Dallas, Tex., assignor to The Murray Company of Texas, Inc., Dallas, Tex., a

corporation of Delaware Application October 16, 1950, Serial No. 190,402

(01. Iii-72) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in lint cleaners.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved lint cleaner using the line flow principle. whereby lint cotton is blown directly from the saws of a gin through a duct arrangement, thence over a screen drum onto lint cleaner saws, whereby batting of the cotton is eliminated and the cotton is delivered onto the lint cleaner saws in a maximumly separated and widely distributed or spread condition, thus greatly adding to the cleaning effectiveness of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved lint cleaner wherein only a relatively small percentage of the air, which blows the cotton from the gin saws to the lint cleaner saws, is passed out through the screen drum; the remaining large percentage of such air being passed down between the lint saws and between the grid bars, thus providing a highly effective air washing process, whereby trash is most efficiently removed and the color of low grade cotton is improved because of the large amount of dust which is extracted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lint cleaner having a direct flow line therethrough with a revolving screen drum in the flow line arranged to remove dust and flne particles with av minimum discharge of air, thereby conserving the air stream for use below the screen.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved means coacting with a revolving screen, in the entrance end of the cleaner, for knocking off any wad or accumulation of cotton and carrying around with the screen so that it may be cast off. the top of said screen into the lint flow lane.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and. wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational schematic view showing a lint cleaner constructed in accordance with the invention, connected with a standard cotton gin.

Fig. 2. is a vertical sectional view of the lint cleaner,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view across the upper portion of the cleaner,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view across the bottom of the cleaner,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of a portion of the saw cylinder and contiguous parts of the cleaner,v

Fig 6 is a sectional detail of one of the grid bar adjusting means, and

Fig. '7 is a detail of the grid bar mounting.

In the drawings the numeral [0 designates, in general, an upright casing having a screen box H in its upper end. Across the upper rear side of the box an inlet opening 12 is provided, which is connected with a broad flat duct ll3 leading from the gin stand A. A lint cotton flow passage 54 is formed across the too of the box and down the front side thereof, over and in front of a screen drum or cylinder [5 having an axial shaft iii, which shaft is suitably journaled at its ends in bearings (not shown). The screen drum has its ends communicating with concentric openings il in the end walls 18 of the casing.

It will be observed that diametrically opposite longitudinal bars 18a are secured on the outer face of the screen drum. These bars coact with a lip |8b extending longitudinally under the front side of the drum in proximity to the circular path of the bars. While the lip acts to deflect lint from the drum, some lint may catch thereon and such lint or cotton will be dislodged by the bars Ilia.

Ihe cotton after passing down the front of the drum I5, discharges into the upper end of a downwardly flaring, transverse duct [8' at the front of the casing onto the front upper side of a transverse saw cylinder [9. An inclined diverter 20, at the bottom of the duct, inclines downwardly from the front wall 2| of the casing to the front medial portion of the saw cylinder. A web sheet 22 extends longitudinally over the saw and transversely from the bottom of the duct to a lint duct 23, leading from the rear side of the saw cylinder.

Below the entrance tothe duct 23 is an up-- ward-ly directed air blast nozzle 24, located slightly below the horizontal center of the saw cylinder so as to blow the cotton lint off the saw teeth upwardly into the mouth of the duct. Air is: supplied to the nozzle by a duct 25 directed downwardly from an air flue 2B.

Immediately under the saw cylinder 19, is a grid bar assembly 21, extending longitudinally from one end wall 18 to the other end wall and curved transversely, substantially concentrically to the saws. The assembly includes arcuate hangers 28 at each end secured to the inner faces of the end walls it by bolts 29.. Arcuate saddles 30 are welded to the outer faces of the hangers and each saddle includes a plurality of radial recesses 31 which are equally spaced apart to receive the ends of grid bars 32 extending longitudinally under the saw cylinder IS.

The grid bars are broad and flat and each presents a relatively narrow top edge to the saw teeth. These bars being equally spaced apart constitute an arcuate assembly or grid underlying the saws which latter drag the cotton transversely over the grid, thereby knocking and removing extraneous material from the cotton, as well as dislodging dust therefrom. In order to adjust the bars 32 so as to control the spacing of their upper edges from the saw teeth, each end of each bar rests upon a gage screw 33 threaded through the bottom of the saddle 39 and projecting into the recess 3! into engagement with the inner edge of the bar. A set screw 35, of considerably less diameter, passes snugly through an axial bore 35 in each screw 33 and is threaded into a screw-threaded socket 136 in the correlated grid bar 32, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. The head of the screw 34 engages the head of the screw 39, and when tightened, secures the end of the bar against movement.

The cotton is blown directly from the saws of the gin A through the duct B into the bottom of a manifold 37 and from the top of this manifold into a flue 38 which discharges into the duct I 3. It is to be noted that the duct B, manifold 37 and flue 38 are broad extending across the gin and cleaner and thus, the cotton is at no time formed into a bat. By eliminating the batting of the cotton, it is delivered onto the lint cleaner saws [9 in the most separated and widely distributed condition possible, thereby greatly adding to the cleaning effectiveness of the lint cleaner. This spread and widely dispersed stream of cotton passes through the flow passage 14 and down over the revolving drum 15.

Only a relatively small percentage of air which blows cotton from the gin saws to the lint cleaner saws is passed out through the drum l and the openings !7 and the remaining large percentage of air is passed down through the saws l9 and through the grid assembly 27, thereby providing a highly efiective air washing process which is used to great advantage in cleaning effectiveness. This air wash principle, in addition to being very effective as a trash remover, also adds greatly to the efiiciency of the lint cleaner in improving the color of low grade cotton. The strong current of air used washes out a large amount of dust, which thus brightens the color of the cotton.

Below the grid assembly 21', an enclosed dust and trash chute or hopper 39 is provided and has the front and rear walls converging downwardly. A screw conveyor 49 located in the bottom of the chute moves the dust and trash therealong. As is indicated in Fig. 4, there is a central discharge lateral 4H and end laterals 62 leading to a discharge flue 43 extending along the bottom of the outer side of the chute. One end of the flue as is closed and the other end is connected with a source for suction (not shown). It will be noted that the conveyor 49 has oppositely directed flights M connected at their inner ends by a web 45, revolving in front of the lateral 4|. Some trash is swept into the central. lateral 4i and the remainder of the trash is conveyed to the end laterals 42. The strong suction applied at three points through the latera s 4| and 42, adequately removes the trash.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cotton lint cleaner including, a casing having a cotton inlet at its top disposed to receive lint cotton from the saws of a cotton gin, aduct. extending down from the inlet for conducting cotton into and partially through said casing and extending across the casing from end to end thereof, whereby the cotton is disbursed and spread in a broad stream free from batting, a screen in the casing exposed in said duct intermediate the ends thereof and having an air outlet, a saw cylinder disposed across the lower end of said duct, transversely spaced grid bars contiguous to the underside of the saw cylinder extending longitudinally thereof, a hopper below the grid bars having spaced outlets, an air suction duct connected with the hopper outlets, and a conveyor in the hopper adjacent the outlets thereof.

2. A cotton lint cleaner including, an upright casing having a cotton inlet from the saws of a cotton gin at its upper portion, a saw cylinder disposed longitudinally in the casing, a cotton passage leading from the upper portion of the casing to the upper front side of the saw cylinder, an air blast nozzle at the rear side of the saw cylinder directed upwardly, a cotton discharge duct leading from the saw cylinder above the nozzle, grid bars extending longitudinally of the saw cylinder thereunder, a lint trash chute below the grid bars having spaced lateral outlets, an air suction duct connected with the outlets of the trash chute, and a screw conveyor in the bottom of said chute having intermediate means for discharging dust and trash into one of the outlets and opposed flights for conveying trash to the other outlets.

3. A cotton lint cleaner including, an upright casing having a cotton inlet, a saw cylinder disposed longitudinally in the casing below the cotton inlet, a passage in the casing leading from the inlet to the saws, a revolving screen exposed on the inner side of the passage above the saw cylinder, a lip along the inner side of the passage adjacent the front of the screen, and a bar across the screen coacting with the lip to dofi cotton. therefrom.

l. A cotton lint cleaner as set forth in claim 2, including, a revolving screen in the cotton passage between the inlet and the saw cylinder.

DEWEY D. DAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 23,044 Brooks Oct. 19, 1948 1,180,134 Garner et a1. Apr. 18, 1916 1,284,922 OConnell Nov. 12, 1918 1,612,732 Kinne Dec. 28, 1926 1,774,077 Behle Aug. 26, 1930 1,975,335 Smith Oct. 2, 1934 1,988,629 Mitchell Jan. 22, 1935 2,569,501 Stedronsky et al. Oct. 2, 1951 2,639,468 Streun May 26, 1953 

